1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bottle stopper removers, and more particularly to an improved remover specifically useful in extracting a stopper from a wine or champagne bottle, especially one sealed with a molded plastic stopper.
2. Description of Related Art
Invention and use of bottle stopper removing devices is known to the public, as they are commonly used for opening bottles produced primarily by the wine industry. Such stopper removers include the well known cork-screw type, the opposing prong type which is used in the restaurant industry, the injected gas type, and two further types which are most closely related to the present invention, the pivoted separable jaw type, of which Hazard, Spriggs, and Crudgington, Jr., described below, are examples, and the separable jaw, screw leverage type, of which the present invention is an example. Hazard U.S. Pat. No. 58,820 teaches an instrument for removing wires from bottles. The invention consists of an arm or bar, fork shaped at one end, which is placed upon and about the neck of a bottle in combination with a hook lever so hung to the fork shaped arm that when the latter is over the neck of the bottle, the hook lever can be engaged with the loop fastener of the cork in such a manner that by properly operating the lever it will draw the fastener loop off the top of the cork leaving the cork free to be removed. Richel U.S. Pat. No. 2,162,445 claims a jar wrench having a jar-gripping means, and a bracket upstanding from the gripping means, and a manually tightening member, and a spiral cap screwing spring with one end anchored to a portion of the tightening member, and a swivel means carried by the tightening member with the other end of the spring anchored to it. This device is particularly capable of removing the cap from a preserve jar or for handling the jar when hot. Spriggs U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,110 documents a hand manipulable device for removing bottle stoppers comprising upper and lower bifurcated jaws engageable about the neck of a bottle between the shoulder and mouth of the bottle for engagement of the upper jaw below the stopper head so that a spreading of the jaws effects an upward withdrawal of the stopper. A retaining arm is fixed to the upper jaw and extends generally centrally over it in outwardly spaced relation for engagement over the head of the stopper in a manner so as to retain the stopper subsequent to release from the bottle. Burns, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,355 discusses a device for controllably removing a bottle stopper from a bottle containing a liquid and natural high pressure gas, such as a sparkling wine, in which the stopper is conventionally held in place, at least in part, by a wire hood. There is a clamp for gripping the bottle adjacent to the pouring lip, but free of the wire hood. There is also a clamp for gripping the stopper, the clamp permitting a loosening of the wire hood. There is a handle for applying an axial turning movement to the gripping device to torsionally remove the stopper from the bottle opening, which removal is under control and at no time will permit an uncontrolled discharge of the stopper. Valtri et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,214 claims an apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle comprising a threaded shaft member, a bottle-gripping member slidably and rotatably coupled to the shaft member, and a stopper-gripping member threaded on the shaft member. The bottle gripping and stopper-gripping members are lightly constructed and relatively flexible, but are buttressed and made rigid and operative by their cooperation with a slidable collar which encircles them and may selectively be positioned for stopper removal or for application of the apparatus to a bottle for stopper removal. Bar-Noy U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,403 exhibits a combination of a bottle screw-threaded twist-off cap opener and a handle which facilitates the holding of the bottle when it is held for pouring its contents. Crudgington, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,394 demonstrates improvements in a hand manipulated device with bifurcated jaws for removing mushroom shaped stoppers from sparkling beverage bottles wherein each jaw contains a recess enabling the device to be repositioned directly around the stopper's stem and on top of the bottle when the stopper has been partially removed, thereby providing a means for additional leverage and lift capability; pivotally interconnected upper and lower levels which are interlocked, thereby eliminating the likelihood that the pivot action might be either too tight or too loose, and enabling the insertion of a hidden spring which eliminates the need for an exposed and perhaps hazardous spring between the handles: and without an exposed spring, grip means is permitted beneath the handles that provides an alternate method of stopper removal; the addition of clips to the upper jaw to prevent the stopper from ricocheting out from under the retaining arm; and a retaining arm which is either flexible or movable thereby permitting a downwardly directed and manually exerted counter force to be applied to said stopper, enabling the stopper to be removed slowly, if desired. St. Denis U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,889 describes a device for removing either a cork or a mushroom-shape stopper from a bottle. It includes a support frame having a bottom ring member adapted to engage the neck of a wine bottle, a top cap member with a threaded hole extending through it and at least two circumferentially spaced longitudinal support members extending between the top cap and bottom ring. A threaded shaft having an upper end and a lower end is mounted in the top cap threaded hole, this shaft having a handle mounted on the upper end. A stopper gripping and pulling member is included for a mushroom-shaped stopper comprising a bridge member connected to the lower end of the threaded shaft such that the threaded shaft is free to rotate relative to the bridge member while being fixed against relative axial movement, guide-ways in the bridge member for receiving the support frame longitudinal support members thereby preventing rotation of the bridge member, a pair of opposed stopper gripping arms extending downwardly from the bridge member, these gripping arms having at the lower ends, inwardly extending gripper dogs adapted to slide downwardly over the top of a mushroom-shaped stopper in a bottle and grip the stopper for pulling, and these gripper arms being further adapted to swing outwardly from the bridge member to release a pulled stopper. Also included is a cork pulling member comprising a stem portion with a handle at one end and cork screw portion at the other end, the cork screw stem extending through an axial hole in the threaded shaft with the cork screw handle projecting above the threaded shaft handle, the cork screw member being adapted to be screwed into a cork in a bottle by turning the cork screw handle and being adapted to pull the cork from the bottle by turning the handle of the threaded shaft whereby the thread shaft handle engages the cork screw handle thereby lifting the cork screw and cork.
The prior art, primarily embodied in the separable jaw, screw leverage type of stopper remover as taught by Richel, St. Denis, Valtri et al, and Burns Jr. provides a basic understanding of this approach. However, these devices are deficient, from a practical point of view, in one or more ways, as with St. Denis, which is a relatively long device as necessitated by its design approach, and Burns Jr. which has ungainly outwardly extending side arms., making these devices unsuitable for being carried and used by waiters in the restaurant industry. Richel is rather ungainly also, and it, as well as Valtri et al, suffer a major disadvantage of not being adaptable for replacement of the stopper gripping means so as to be useful for all stopper types and configurations. The present invention fulfills this need and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.